CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
-:- MACKENZIE -:-
I don’t know how this joking around started with Amelia, but it is fun, and I’m not sure why we’ve kept it up, but it’s giving us a lot of pleasure messing with Jig. It must be playing with his head something fierce. Hey, he’s a big boy, he’ll get over it.
Having cooking lessons at Bitty’s is great fun, and I have to admit that I’m learning a lot. Amelia said she’d teach me, but until Bitty offered us her kitchen, it was nearly impossible for us to get together. Everyone at the club knows we’re messing with Jig, but I don’t want them to know I can’t cook. Meat helped out with the steak, but we told him it was because I didn’t have time to do everything. Honestly, I think he saw right through me.
I called in sick this morning and told them it was stress-related, they can believe it or not, so I could get caught up on my to-do list. I need to call the vet’s and see about this upcoming vacancy. I want to call Flynn and Kayla, catch up and see if she wants to be my maid of honor. I need to speak to the realtor about the condo. The list seems endless.
Let’s get this show on the road, I think to myself as I grab my phone and ring the veterinary service. After only one ring, a bright, bubbly voice comes on the line.
“Good morning, Paws for Thought Veterinary Service. How can we help you today?”
“Well, that’s one of the best telephone greetings I’ve heard in a long time.”
“Why, thank you. I like to give everybody the fluffy puppy welcome, right up to the point they no longer deserve it. That’s when Momma Grizzly shows up and chews their ass. When they settle back down, they get ‘teenage’ fluffy puppy. Like the fluffy puppy, but with attitude. Now, how can I help you, honey?”
“I like your way of thinking. A friend of mine, Raven, told me there may be a vacancy coming up for a receptionist due to maternity leave. I was wondering if you’re taking applications for the position?”
“Word sure does get around fast, you’re the third caller this morning. Yep. I’m having twins and hubby and me don’t want our kids brought up by a nanny or some nursery school teacher. We want our kids to have our family values, know right from wrong, a good work ethic, old-fashioned parenting they call it nowadays.”
“There’s nothing wrong with what you just described. I want to do the same thing when I have children. I’m not quite there yet, but I may come calling for advice when the time comes.”
“We should have coffee together and put the world to rights. Sounds like we’d get along well. Now, are you currently working?”
“I am, but I’m also working my notice from a doctors’ practice. I can give you the reasons at an interview if I get that far.” I don’t want to sound too confident or too desperate.
“The other two that applied don’t have a hope. All they asked about was money, how many hours, and break times. Can you be here for a two o’clock interview?”
“Oh, gosh. Definitely. That won’t be a problem. Do I need to bring anything with me?” Already racking my brain about references or my resume.
“No, honey, you just bring along all that enthusiasm, and I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Okay, see you at two o’clock then.” I’m so excited. Sending a message to Raven about the interview, I thank her for the heads-up. Once I’ve pressed send, I realize I should have probably let Jig know first. Hey ho… He’ll have to settle for second this time… Oops.
Running out to my Jeep, I head over to the Range. I have a lesson with Winter this morning for self-defense. I can’t wait for that either. I’m so hyper today with all these good things happening.
Walking into the building I see Winter at the reception counter dealing with a customer. As I walk up, I hear him complaining. “I paid to get help with my shooting and I haven’t got what I paid for.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, sir. The instructor did offer advice that could help, but apparently, you chose not to heed that advice.”
“I have been holding my gun in one hand since I was ten years old. I don’t need to be told to use two hands for no pistol.”
“Your instructor must think that would help you, sir, or he wouldn’t have suggested it. Did you even try his advice?” Winter is being very cool and professional in the way she is dealing with him.
“Hell, no. I don’t need any spectacles either, damn him. I won’t be coming here again, that’s for sure.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, sir.” Winter's words fall on deaf ears as he storms away and heads for the exit. When he gets there, he slams against the door, but it doesn’t open. After two more attempts, Winter walks over to him and calmly speaks. “Excuse me, sir. If you’ll just take a step back, you’ll see you’re trying to exit via the entrance door. They are clearly marked.”
Walking by her to the next door, he mutters something about spectacles. “I think that would be an excellent idea, sir,” Winter states as she walks back to the counter.
“Oh, my God, Kenzie! Some people are just not the sharpest tool in the box. Know what I mean? He’s damn near blind and can’t understand why he can’t hit a target at ten yards. He shouldn’t even be driving.”
“Not having a good start to the day?” I hope this doesn’t impact on my lesson.
“No, my day’s fine. I had to step into that mess before Target took the guy's weapon and made it disappear into somewhere that the sun doesn’t shine. If you get my meaning.”
Beckoning me behind the counter, Winter leads me off to a stairway. When we reach the top, we go through a door and into a stunning apartment.
“Oh, wow. This place is gorgeous, Winter. I love it, and it’s so modern. I love the way you’ve kept it, so it’s almost minimalist, yet with personality. It is stunning.”
“Thank you. We like it. It suits the three of us.”
“Three of you?”
“Yes, Target, me and Chaos.”
“Oh!” I squeak. I blush as I had no idea it was the three of them.
“No, Kenzie. There’s me and Target. Then there’s Chaos on his own. He’s basically a roomie, that’s all.” She laughs at the relief on my face.
“Thank goodness. Not that there’d be anything wrong if that was what it was, of course. I’m going to shut up now. Can I have a coffee before you strangle me, please?”
“You can have one after. You can have water now, and then we’ll get started.” Leading me to a room that is part gym, part exercise floor, she indicates that we change and make a start.
“Before you learn how to throw or hurt your attacker, you need to learn how to fall yourself. I’m going to show you how to roll so that you reduce the risk of getting injured.”
We spend an hour with me slamming the floor, rolling across the floor and generally flying through the air. When she calls time, I have to say, I’m ready to call it a day.
“Before we quit, show me one thing I can do if I’m facing trouble, and I’ve got one shot at my attacker.”
“If it’s a guy, go for his nuts. If he’s standing in front of you, kick him or knee him. Not many can stay upright if you get a good hit. When his head comes down, knee him in the face. If you can’t target his family jewels, make a fist, tilt your fingers back and, with the heel of your hand, smash his nose. Or her nose, of course.”
Feeling good about myself with all the things I’m doing to make my life safer, we get changed back into our normal clothes. Entering the stunning kitchen, we approach the island and Winter gets to work on coffee. As she fills the coffeemaker, she points to a wall cabinet behind me.
“Those two Neanderthals refill nothing. Can you pass me the sugar from that cabinet, please, Kenzie?”
Reaching behind me, I open the cabinet and pass the sugar.
“Anything else while I’m here?”
“Nope. That will do, thanks. Coffee’s good for a change.”
Turning back to close the door, I don’t realize that it has opened wider and I bang my head, more precisely my cheek, on the damn corner.
“What.. the..! Goddamn it. That hurts.”
Winter rushes around the island and takes a look. “You haven’t cut it, but it’s gonna bruise nicely.” Grabbing a towel, she dumps it into the sink, and soaks it in cold water before wringing it out and passing it to me. “Here. Hold this on it for a few minutes.”
With tears in my eyes, I sit down at the island and hold the towel.
“You do realize that everyone is going to think I gave you a black eye, don’t you? No matter what we say, no one is going to believe you walked into a cabinet door,” Winter states the obvious while standing there shaking her head.
I start to laugh and it hurts, but I can’t stop laughing, either.
“Well, at least you can go home from here and no one has to see it.” Winter takes a seat next to me, takes the towel away and then grimaces. “You’re one of those that bruises easily, aren’t you? It’s showing already.”
“No. No. No. I can’t go like this. Oh, no.” I begin to panic as I remember my two o’clock interview. “I have a job interview at two o’clock at the veterinary service. I’m going to look awful turning up with a black eye.”
“I’ll go with you and explain what happened. Will that help?”
“No. Then I’ll look like I can’t explain something for myself.”
“Oh, yes. That’s a bad idea.”
“I’m not canceling. I’ll just have to hope they have a sense of humor, that’s all. Now, where’s my coffee?”
Thinking about my eye, that’s coloring nicely, I ask Winter if she has make-up that might cover it. We try all different styles, colors and combinations, but in the end, I decide to go ‘Au Naturel’.
Still having an hour to kill before the interview, I head home to change again. Ten minutes to get home, ten minutes to change, and still twenty minutes to kill before I need to leave. Calling the realtor about the condo gives me some good news. He has a client who wants to move in right away. I don’t have much to pack, so I could be out by Monday morning. He’s happy with that but gives me till Tuesday night, just to be safe.
Driving over for my interview, I marvel at how different the Jeep feels since Jig has been tinkering with it. The ride is smoother, the engine responds better, and the steering feels sharper, too. With the paint job, she’s a completely different machine than the one I bought from Lily.
Pulling up in the parking lot of the Veterinary Service, I take a few moments to compose myself. Sitting there, taking some deep breaths, I look at the building that houses ‘Paws for Thought Veterinary Service’. It doesn’t look like a new building, it looks old and cared for. The original features have been highlighted when it’s been modernized and made to look contemporary.
Locking up the Jeep, I head to the front door, where I see a woman standing outside, smoking a cigarette. She looks like she just climbed out of a dumpster. As I reach for the door handle, she snarls at me.
“Don’t waste your time if you’re here for the job. There’s a bitch in there that thinks she’s better than the rest of us. She’ll get hers when she steps out them doors tonight. I need that job and I’m having it.” She wipes her dripping nose on her tattered sleeve and, although I’m no expert, I think she’s on drugs.
Walking inside the building, I take my phone and call the sheriff’s department. I get quite a surprise when I start to tell them about the threats the woman outside has made, and the voice at the other end asks if I’m Kenzie.
“Erm, yes. How would you know that?”
“Kenzie, it’s me, Gemmy, Stitch’s Ol’ Lady. Is she threatening you?”
“No. She’s making threats about the receptionist here. The lady is pregnant, too. She doesn’t need this type of thing going on.”
“Stay inside and I’ll have someone over right away.”
“Thanks, Gemmy. You’re a star.” I look over to the reception counter where the pregnant receptionist is standing, listening.
“Is it that ugly, skank addict that’s threatening me? I’ll rearrange her face so she won’t be able to snort coke through that rat-nose of hers ever again.” She has a southern drawl that gets more pronounced the angrier she gets.
“No, don’t go out there. Someone from the sheriff’s department will be here shortly. It’s all taken care of.” I smile at her as she sits back down.
“Are you my two o’clock?”
“I guess so, if you’re talking interviews. Mackenzie Howard. Please, call me Kenzie.”
“Hi, Kenzie. My name’s Amelia. My friends call me Amy.”
“No. You are so not called Amelia? Honestly? Have I got a story for you, Amy.”
Before I get to say more, someone from the sheriff’s department arrives. We hear a bit of a scuffle outside, some cursing from the woman, and then a cruiser door slams shut. The front door opens and Forest walks in.
“Hi, Kenzie. You both okay? She’s in my cruiser for now.”
“We’re both fine, thanks. What happens to her now?”
“You can file a complaint, but it won’t mean squat to that fruit loop. Or I can hold her for a few hours where she’ll calm down and forget all about it. Your choice, ladies.”
Amy looks at me, and we come to the same conclusion without speaking.
“Let her cool off for a while and then let her go. If she turns up here again, we’ll go down the other route.” Amy nods her agreement and we both watch Forest leave.
“Okay, let's have this story before I take you off for your interview.”
“I don’t want to be late.”
“You can’t be late. I’m your interviewer.”
Launching into the tale of how Amelia and I first met, the ongoing saga that is our friendship, and the pranks we have played on Jig. I have Amy laughing so hard that she has tears rolling down her cheeks.
Amy makes a call to someone in another office and when a new lady appears, Amy takes me off to a vacant office. Asking for my recent work history has me talking through my last two positions. When I explain about the Dr. Edwards episode and the gossiping bitches, she gives me a knowing look.
“My first ever job was a bit like that. The boss told me to suck it up, or quit. It was his son who was being the creep. I waited ‘til he tried it on one day and I sat back, knowing he would go too far. He thought he was being clever when he slapped his dick on my desk. Didn’t think it was so clever when I stapled his foreskin to it though. I’ve never heard anyone or anything scream so loud and long as he did. I got my gear together, and as I was leaving the building, he was still screaming.
“His father sent the police to arrest me for assault. We had coffee and doughnuts as I explained to them what had happened and why. They didn’t want to press charges once the officers told them it would all come out in court.” Amy leans back in her chair and looks at the ceiling as she relives the moment, slamming her hand on the desk as if she was doing it all over again. Now it’s my turn to laugh and have tears streaming down my face.
Amy goes over the hours, salary, and expectations. There may be times that I’m required to help with the animals in surgery or recuperation. Was I squeamish with wounds or blood? Would I be prepared to study for a qualification to further my career or standing in the practice? Was there any animal, insect, or beast in general that I simply couldn’t handle?
Being positive with all my answers, she seems happy so far. Leading me away to another office, she introduces me to the husband-and-wife team that own the business.
“Kenzie, this is Jasmine and Jason. Both are our senior veterinarians and co-owners of the business. I’ll leave you alone for five minutes while I check on the reception desk.”
“So, tell us what happened out front with the cruiser.” Jason seems the full on, no nonsense, straight to business kind of guy.
“Hi, Kenzie. My name’s Jasmine and I’m pleased to meet you. Forgive my husband. He’s a bit brash and lacking in social graces sometimes. Like whenever he’s awake.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” Explaining the cruiser and Sheriff Forest's presence doesn’t take long. Answering a few questions seems to satisfy them and by this time, Amy walks in and tips her head to the two bosses.
“If you’re happy to train Kenzie up, we’re happy to have her on board,” Jasmine states. “That’s if Kenzie is happy to join our team, of course?”
“When do you want me to start? I’m all in.” I stand there with a huge grin on my face, waiting to find my start date.
“I’m off next week, so how about a week on Monday? Eight-thirty prompt and don’t be late.”
“I won’t be late. We should swap digits, then maybe we can have a coffee and a pastry while you’re off.”
“Digits?”
“Oh, phone numbers. Digits is something I picked up from the Raging Barons MC.”
“That sounds like an interesting coffee morning,” Jason says to Amy. “We might join you just for the hell of it.” Jasmine nods in agreement and I give a huge smile as I head back to my Jeep.